


An End

by blubu



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Other, anyway i just want my bugs to be happy, but it makes me sad, but it's not happening, i love this game, spoilers ahdf but that might be obvious, wow how does ao3 work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 03:03:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17296526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blubu/pseuds/blubu
Summary: With the Vessel nearing the ending of its journey, it shares one last moment with an old friend.





	An End

**Author's Note:**

> oh man i literally just made this acc JSDhSD sorry idk how ao3 works lmao have faith in me

It had been done. Each seal locking away its sibling had been erased; eradicated; destroyed. The Vessel barely gave the poor creatures a single thought, though sometimes its tiny head wandered. Wandered far across the kingdom, even across time, to what a shimmering beacon the land of Hallownest must have been long ago before the infection stole away its grandeur and the minds of its inhabitants. Who were the seals--no, the Dreamers--and what service did they provide? Who did they serve? The King? The people? Themselves?  
It shook its head at such thoughts. No matter. They played their role, and it played its. They would be spared from seeing the catastrophes that littered a now shadowed land.

The Vessel mulled over what to do next. It could face its sibling, lying dormant in the heart of the Black Egg--or it could enjoy what little time it had left. It did not know what would become of it in or after that battle, though it could feel the need to spend a few more moments with the fellows it had met over the course of its travels.  
It did not know why it wanted to. It just felt right.  
The small creature wandered the graves buried in the Resting Grounds. A place so haunted by past lives, it could almost see the white, ghostly faces of those who had deceased before it. It did not know how to feel about this. It did not feel. The Vessel carried on.  
It carried on until in the next two rooms over, it found the Blue Lake. It had been here before, yes, but the shimmering blue of such calm waters never ceased to amaze it--to make its small mind wander. It is why it did not travel here often.  
It had remembered the old bug Quirrel, who had fought with it against the protector of the Archives and allowed his Teacher to lie at a now ethereal eternal rest. He had talked with the smaller being many times, and it had always found itself delighted at his presence and random knowledge of the kingdom in its brighter days. He had expressed wanting to find the lake that allowed the city underneath to shed such mournful tears.

And find, he did.

The Vessel was surprised to find the bug there in all his glory, soaking up the wondrous sight of the blue waters. Quirrel was sitting with his thin legs crossed and nail propped beside him. The smaller being moved to situate itself on the other side, finding itself copying the position the larger bug had so casually made. At first, the Vessel had thought Quirrel had not noticed its approach; until he began speaking.

“Again we meet my short friend. Here at last, I feel at peace.” He spoke, black eyes never leaving the blue ahead of them. The Vessel turned its head to him, paying full attention. It was always seeking the knowledge its taller friend had granted it, and the calming feeling he always emitted simply by talking to the smaller fellow. “Twice I've seen this world and though my service may have stripped the first experience from me, I'm thankful I could witness its beauty again.”

It listened intently. Piecing the story had long since made its head ache, though it found itself wanting to know more of Quirrel’s. What exactly what his role in this place? Was he happy here? Was he happy then? It didn’t know why, but it hoped so.

“Hallownest is a vast and wondrous thing,” The older bug continued, “but in as many wonders as it holds, I've seen none quite so intriguing as you.” He finally turned to the smaller being next to him with something almost akin to adoration in his black eyes. It looked up at him, wanting him to continue, wanting to scream--yet there was no voice to do such thing. A curse of its own creation. Quirrel turned back to the waters unaware of the Vessel’s inner struggle.

“Ha. My flattery returns only silent stoicism. I like that. I like that very much.” He murmured almost out onto the sea, raising just a single hand and laying it on the Vessel’s head. It felt a warmth it hadn’t felt in its entire existence, and it made it want to cry. So it did. But no tears came out, and there was no voice to cry suffering.  
It decided to stay there for a while, though it knew soon it would have to leave for the grand finale of its quest. It didn’t know why it stayed--maybe because of the adoration in Quirrel’s eyes, or the look that flashed right after that gave it a queasy feeling in its stomach and urged it not to leave. Whatever it was, the Vessel stayed. Until it left.

 

* * *

 

 

And maybe it should have stayed longer. Maybe it should have urged Quirrel away from those still waters and left together. Maybe it should have found a way to communicate with Quirrel there were still mysteries to unravel and new generations to be taught. Maybe if it had done that, then..  
It let its mind wander again, didn’t it? Ah, well, it almost sighed in its mind, allowing those thoughts to drift away. It clutched a glowing and delicate flower in its black hands, placing the ethereal beauty next to a nail embedded in the shore of a gleaming blue lake. The last remnant of its friend.  
The Vessel urged itself onward evermore.

It turned its head to its sister as it arrived. It had grown fond of her overtime--was that what it meant to be a family? It urged its mind not to wonder.

“The path is opened. One way or another an end awaits inside.”  
The Vessel knew this.

“I won't be joining you in this. That space is built to sustain your likes. Its bindings would drain me were I to join. Don't be surprised. I'll not risk my own life in your attempt, though if the moment presents I'll aid as I'm able.”

It wasn’t surprised and it didn’t want her to come; It did not want to lose another, especially its family. If its travels end here, it wanted Hornet to be the one to lead Hallownest onto a new age. It could tell she had it in her.  
I ts mind wandered again, didn’t it?

“Ghost of Hallownest, you possess the strength to enact an end of your choosing. Would you supplant our birth-cursed sibling, or would you transcend it?”  
It didn’t know, yet it could picture the end in its mind. It took one last glance at its sister, seeing she had nothing left to say, before it began forcing its legs to lead it into the darkness emitted by the egg.

And here, at the end, it thought back to Quirrel. It hoped his life and efforts would not be naught, and as it began to cry, it knew it would not fail those who loved it.

There were still no tears.

And there was still no voice.

But the end was before it.


End file.
